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Paralyzed New Dad Finds Motivation to Heal

In April, Marcus Fairfield found out he was going to be a dad. A few weeks later he was in a car accident that crushed his spine and left him paralyzed. Now the devoted father-to-be is using his daughter’s ultrasound as motivation to heal.

Marcus Fairfield’s life was headed in the right direction. A 27-year-old Army National Guard sergeant and Iraq War veteran, he had just discovered that his girlfriend was expecting his first child. He unpacked his 2006 Mustang GT from his friends garage and headed for home.

Then tragedy struck. His friend, who was driving the GT, went off the road, hit a bump, and flipped the car. Somehow, the driver walked away uninjured, but Fairfield wasn’t so lucky. The roof of the vehicle collapsed, crushing his cervical vertebrae. Fairfield was rushed to the local hospital where he spent three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit. He was paralyzed – unable to walk and barely able to move his arms – when he was transferred to a long term care facility. Fairfield said:

“My level of functionality was so low, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to go back to work.”

But the staff at the Mary Free Bed facility weren’t ready to let him give up. Kaitlin Salowitz, a recreational therapist made it a personal mission to get Fairfield to his girlfriend’s ultrasound appointment so he could see his new baby.

Being able to see his daughter-to-be gave Fairfield new hope and a new mission. According to Sue Thoms of M-Live:

Back at Mary Free Bed, he rolled down the hall with pink wings on his wheelchair and wearing a pink armband and strings of pink beads.

Fairfield had always wanted to be a father but he was afraid of how being paralyzed would affect his ability to support his family. Now he keeps a picture of his baby’s ultrasound in his room. It motivates him to push his recovery so he can be an active parent.

“I have a lot of drive to get back to work to support my family,” he said. “I always wanted to provide for my kids the things I didn’t have.”

When it comes to recovering after a car accident, Fairfield has one less thing to worry about as a Michigan resident because Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance makes sure all of his medical expenses will be covered. That includes adaptive equipment that will help him do things like change diapers and feed his daughter when it is time. So even though he is paralyzed, Fairfield can help to raise his daughter from day one.

David Christensen is an auto accident attorney at Christensen Law in Southfield, Michigan. He and his team help severely injured motorists collect their no-fault benefits from insurance companies to make sure all of their medical needs are covered. If you or someone you know has had their benefits denied, contact Christensen Law today for a free consultation.